


The Robins Who Leave the Nest

by ReplacementRobin



Series: JayTim Week 2020 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Damian Wayne is Nightwing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Jason Todd is Robin, JayTim Week, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Robin reversal, Tim Drake is Red Hood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24523273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReplacementRobin/pseuds/ReplacementRobin
Summary: “Don’t worry little birdie, I’m not going to kill you,” Tim’s face morphs into a predatory imitation of the colgate white smile Jason remembers seeing in newspaper articles about the newest addition to the Wayne family “Well, not yet at least.”OrJason Todd is the third Robin. Tim Drake’s successor, his replacement. Tim Drake is the second Robin. Jason Todd’s idol, his hero.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: JayTim Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767865
Comments: 12
Kudos: 203
Collections: JayTimWeek





	The Robins Who Leave the Nest

Jason stares up into silver grey eyes streaked with green and marvels at their _wrongness_. They are still beautiful, but they're brimming with fury and pain and above all madness. Those eyes belong to the man who is currently holding Jason down, a sharp blade pressing against the Robin's neck, the pressure just hard enough to draw a thin trickle of blood, but not enough to do any real damage.

“Tim,” Jason rasps out, mouth dry and voice tinged with confusion and something Tim couldn’t quite place, something akin to wonder, something that would keep the older boy awake and staring up at the stained ceiling of one of his numerous safe houses for hours as he thought it over.

“The boy wonder recognizes me, what an honour,” Tim replies with a bark of crazed laughter.

“Of course I remember you, you were Robin,” Jason had made sure not to say ‘my Robin’ he got the feeling that this Tim wouldn’t appreciate it. As well as it being totally embarrassing to admit to your childhood crush that you had stalked him for years.

“ _Was_ ,” Tim spits out “because that’s you now isn’t it. _Jason_ , the new and improved Robin. My replacement,” Tim says Jason’s name with such vehemence and hatred that Jason flinches

The knife is starting to press harder against Jason’s neck and he gasps in pain closing his eyes, but that only makes the sting worse, and so he tries to stay as still as possible.

Suddenly the knife is gone and Jason's eyes fly open to look at the man standing above him. There’s a manic grin stretched across his face and the green in his eyes is gleaming in the bright moonlight, but he seems calmer than he was a moment ago, as though Jason's blood on his razor sharp blade has sated him somehow. 

“Don’t worry little birdie, I’m not going to kill you,” Tim’s face morphs into a predatory imitation of the colgate white smile Jason remembers seeing in newspaper articles about the newest addition to the Wayne family “Well, not _yet_ at least.”

___

It’s after that that Jason starts planning how to bring Tim back into the family. It doesn’t get better quickly, it’s several months before he and Tim are able to have conversations without them turning violent, until Jason’s able to parse out all the landmines Tim has lurking and work around them, and several more months until interactions with the Bats in general don’t end in an injury of some kind, but it does get better.

The first full conversation that doesn’t end in bloodshed, or razor sharp comments that know how to find exactly where it hurts, happens on a nondescript rooftop at the edge of Robin's patrol route.

Jason is standing there, waiting to see if Tim will show up. He’s just about to give up when the man in question swings onto the rooftop, landing with grace only a bat could possess.

“Isn’t it a little past your bedtime,” Tim quips. He's wearing just a domino and his classic leather and body armour combo. 

Jason bites back the retorts that automatically spring to mind, he has a goal and letting Tim bait him into an argument isn’t going to help.

“I’m here to ask a favour,” Tim says, looking genuinely surprised for a moment before he schools his features into disinterest.

“Careful Robin, you don’t want to go falling in with the wrong crowd,” Tim drawls, his words are sarcastic, but Jason can sense the bitterness beneath them.

Jason rolls his eyes, “I need help with a case.”

“Why are you coming to me, why not Daddybats or Demon brat?” Tim asks, expression skeptical, as though he thinks Jason is trying to play some kind of trick on him.

“They- they can’t help with this,” Jason says scowling and looking away.

“Which is why you’re coming to me - the guy who’s nearly murdered you _multiple times_ \- for help,” Tim drawls, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Will you help or not?” The younger boy says hotly.

“Why don’t you actually tell me what you want help with first.” Tim replies, tone remaining calm despite Jason's anger.

  
  
“There’s a drug dealer, Antonia Valerez.” Jason's almost spits out the words, as though just saying the name leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“And this requires my help, why?”

“He’s in Crime Alley and he’s dealing to kids. He needs to be stopped.”

Tim’s eyes narrow “Why are you telling me this? You bats don’t exactly approve of my methods.” 

“Bruce won't do what needs to be done,” he replies tensely, “The guy is only going to have a dip in jail, before we can even blink his connections are going to get him out. It won't fix anything, he'll only be stopped if he is _stopped_ ,” There’s guilt in Jason’s expression, but also hard determination.

Tim stares at him for a moment before replying, “Ok, I’ll stop him, but don’t go tattling to bats when I do it my way.”

Jason’s shoulders drop as he releases the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding, “I won’t. Thank you.”

“Don’t get used to it.” Tim says turning to leave. Jason watches him go, a small smile on his face.

___  
  


The Next time he sees Tim, Bruce is dead.

He’s sitting on top of one of the higher buildings of gotham city, staring out at the horizon and trying to hold back the screams that are trying to claw their way up his throat. He doesn’t turn to look when he hears the crunch of gravel behind him, he knows it’s not Nightwing, and that’s enough for him. 

“What are you doing out here in civvies?” Tim asks after a few seconds of silence.

Jason looks down at the well worn jeans and black hoodie he’s wearing, he could’ve taken his robin suit from the cave, but he couldn’t bear to put it on, not after seeing Dick in his colors, after having the only thing he had left of Bruce ripped away by his eldest brother.

“Damian took away Robin,” he replies, too tired to explain how he was really feeling, the exhaustion and pain, the all consuming loss that left a gaping wound where his heart should be. 

He hears a sharp inhale of breath behind him, and then a moment later he’s being joined in sitting on the ledge. “Damian’s an asshole,” Tim says, voice soft. Jason huffs in acknowledgement, but otherwise doesn’t reply.

They sit in silence before Jason drops his next bombshell, “Bruce is alive, and I’m going to get him back,” He turns to look at Tim, waiting for his reaction.

He’s staring at him with his brows slightly furrowed, as though he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. After nearly a full minute he replies. “Okay.”

Jason huffs in disbelief. “Okay?! That’s all you're going to say?”

“What do you want me to say?” Tim sounds like he's genuinely asking, like the answer actually matters to him.

Jason stands up suddenly unable to sit still, “I don’t know! That you think I’m crazy! That you think I’m right!” His voice breaks on the last word.

Tim is staring up at him with that searching look again. “If you say he’s alive, then I believe you, _I trust you._ ”

Jason can’t control the choked sob that escapes, and he turns away from Tim so that the other man won’t see the tears pouring down his face.

“I’m going to go find him,” he says, voice soft but determined. He can feel Tim’s eyes on his back.

“Where?” He asks, as if Jason isn't saying things most people would send him to Arkham for, or at least Damian would.

“I’m starting in Spain, Piazza del Toros. I- I think I’ll be able to find something there,” Jason waits for Tim's response. Tim has always been the smart Robin, the only Robin that has ever truly been able to keep up with Batman, or even be ahead of him, and so Jason waits to see if Tim thinks he’s an idiot.

“How long will you be gone?”

“As long as it takes to get him back” Jason says, anger and determination clear in his voice.

There’s a long moment of silence before Tim speaks again, Jason's still not facing him. 

“ _Jason,_ ” something in his voice makes Jason turn around, forgetting to care about the angry red lines the tears have left on his cheeks, “be careful. Bad things happen to Robins who leave the nest.” 

Jason is stunned into silence and before he’s able to angrily point out that he’s _not_ a Robin anymore, Tim is gone.

___

It’s been a year since Bruce got back, a year since Jason’s life completely fell apart and was then molded into something, not new, but different. It’s nearing the end of summer, still warm, but not so hot that you have to peel your uniform off at the end of the night. Tim and Jason are sitting on top of a skyscraper after patrol eating chilli dogs and staring out at the twinkling city lights in companionable silence.

Tim is acting _weird_ , he keeps looking at Jason With this unreadable look, but by now Jason knows it means that he’s working himself up to saying something. 

After a solid 20 minutes of side glances and lip biting Jason has finished his chilli dog and is getting impatient. He turns to face Tim fully, “What is it?” He asks.

“Huh?” Tim says looking caught off guard.

“You clearly have something you want to say, what is it?” Jason says again, hoping some prodding will get him to actually talk.

Tim takes a deep breath as though trying to collect himself before he speaks. “These last few years have been… Well, _really_ tough, to say the least,” He starts, Jason nods in agreement, a lot has happened, from Bruce going missing and Robin getting snatched away from him by Damian, to him being down a spleen, “And we’re different people now from when we first met.” that's a complete understatement, but Jason just nods again.

Tim gets that guilty pained look in his eye as he remembers their first meeting, and Jason's about to butt in and start their recurring argument about how he forgives Tim, and that it was the Pit’s influence, not really him, when Tim raises a hand silently asking for Jason to let him continue.

“And if you were sane you’d despise me instead of forgive me, but you don’t because you're one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know.”

  
  
Jason feels his cheeks warm at the compliments, he officially has no idea where Tim is going with this speech.

“And I completely understand if you say no, but I’d really like to know if you’d want to go on a date with me sometime?” He rushes through the sentence so quickly Jason nearly misses it.

  
  
Jason's jaw drops open, and Tim kind of looks like he’d like to jump off the ledge they’re currently sitting on, but before he can Jason says his response, well shouts it.

  
  
“ _Yes_!” Jason’s blush worsens and he tries to reply in a less embarrassingly eager way, “Yes, I’d really like to go out with you on a date.”

  
  
Tim’s look of anxiety morphs into a beaming smile, one of those rare real ones that are slightly lopsided and make his eyes crinkle.“Yeah?”

“ _Definitely_ , and if you catch me I might even say yes to a second one,” he says, a cheeky grin appearing on his face.

Tim only has a second to feel confused before Jason is shooting his grapple gun and leaping off the building, joyful laughter trailing behind him as he swings away into the night. 

Tim jumps after him a moment later, a wide grin on his face. He’s happy, really happy, for the first time in years, maybe even since he was still living with Bruce, before everything between them went sour and he was murdered by an insane clown. He shakes his head, banishing the thoughts, now's not the time to think about those painful memories, he has a second date to catch.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Day 3, Robin Reversal! So this is actually the first fanfic I ever completed... and oh boy in the entire 2 months I've been doing this my writing has (I think? hopefully?) really improved. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
> 
> Another shout out to TatsuChan who made this possible!
> 
> Any kudos or comments you chose to leave are loved and adored! :)


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